My Soulmate
by reituki77
Summary: Nowaki left his beloved to America without explanation. A drunk Hiroki is asking for comfort from his best friend. What will happen if lust blinded the two best friends? Hiroki/Akihiko Misaki/Usagi Hiroki/Nowaki Chapter 8: One Good Turn Deserves Another.
1. Alone

Disclaimer: I do not own Junjou Romantica.

Pairing: Akihiko/ Hiroki (later on, I promise to focus on Hiroki/Nowaki)

Rating: M for Sexual Content

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Chapter 1: Alone

"...He left me." Hiroki choked, as he emptied his can of beer.

"Why did he leave you? Did you do anything wrong to him?" Akihiko asked.

He continued typing on his laptop, appearing uninterested by his distraught companion. Hiroki appeared on his doorstep with a plastic bag filled with canned beers in the middle of the night. Akihiko had invited his distressed friend without asking any questions after seeing Hiroki's tired red eyes. He did not mind anyway, since he was still working on the next instalment for his novel.

"You don't care, do you? Hahaha, why would you?" Hiroki chuckled, "It is just me, anyway. You've never actually cared about me."

"I've always been left all alone. First, you left me...and now Nowaki. I should have realized this all along. Who can stand being with somebody like me?" Hiroki continued to laugh, although tears started running down his face.

"I've never left you. What are you talking about?" Akihiko finally looked up.

"That's right. You never knew. You never knew that I was in love with you. I even slept with you, thinking that you could finally realize my feelings for you," Hiroki giggled through his tears, "but you're Bakahiko. You're an idiot. You never realized. No, that's not it...I was the idiot. I AM the idiot. I've always been..."

Hiroki lay down on the floor, staring at the ceiling. He was feeling dizzy; he had finished his sixth can of beer. Did he just admit to Akihiko that he was in love with him? Perhaps he did. He did not even understand half of the things he was saying. Nowaki had left the apartment when he came back from work. His clothes were missing, and his suitcase was gone too. He had left Hiroki all by himself.

"I've always loved you. You're a very important person in my life." Akihiko broke the silence.

His expression was unfathomable, as he slowly leaned down and pinned Hiroki on the floor.

"I knew that you were in love with me, Hiroki. I am sorry that you think I took advantage of you that day," Akihiko trailed on, "but you have to understand. Even though we are both the last two people on earth, I will never date you. I love you that much."

"What do you mean?" Hiroki questioned quietly. His wrists were gripped tightly by Akihiko's cold large hands.

"Akihiko...let go..." He protested, as he tried to pull his hands away from Akihiko's grip. Akihiko released his grasp, but his body was still towering the petite brunette.

"Perhaps, you're my soul mate. I want you to always be beside me, forever. Romantic feelings may end some day, and both parties will drift apart. Just like Takahiro, and I. I didn't see him as often as I see you, and I don't care about him as much as I care about you." Akihiko explained as he caressed Hiroki's lips with his thumb.

"You're lying...You're dating Takahiro's little brother, aren't you?" Hiroki blushed and turned his face away from Akihiko.

"I never lied to you, Hiroki. And I don't think dating Misaki has anything to do with this at all. Didn't you just hear my explanation?" Akihiko asked softly.

"Get off me, Bakahiko! Stop it! Stop this! I've just been dumped by my lover who accept me for who I am...who I thought loved me for who I am...I don't need this! I need a friend who can comfort me, not a friend who confused me!" Hiroki shouted, "Please, get off me!"

"I'm sorry, Hiroki," Akihiko leaned down and kissed the trembling brunette beneath him.

He slowly brushed their lips together, his tongue darting out, begging for entrance. Hiroki fought him off for a while, before finally opening his mouth and melting into the kiss. He closed his eyes and let Akihiko consumed him completely. He moaned quietly as Akihiko's fingers gently rubbed against his right nipple. Akihiko flicked his finger harder hearing Hiroki's moan. Their arousal brushed against each other, creating a delicious friction. It felt so inviting...yet so forbidden.

"Aaah, Aki...stop...nnh," Hiroki moaned as Akihiko's hand disappeared inside his pants. He felt Akihiko massaging his member, paying extra attention to his weeping head.

"And here is where I'll stop," Akihiko took out his hand and lick his fingers experimentally, "I don't trust myself to go even further. I don't want you to think that I'm taking advantage of you again. You're drunk, Hiroki."

"Why did you kiss me then?" Hiroki asked angrily, panting hard. His face was still slightly red, and his member was still hard inside his pants after all the stimulation.

"...To cheer you up. And to shut you up and listen to me." Akihiko replied innocently.

Akihiko had planned to only kiss Hiroki. He didn't realized that the kiss went a little bit too far...

"We're not kids anymore, Bakahiko!" Hiroki shouted, "You can't do these stupid things anymore!"

"Hiroki, listen to me. I love you. I truly do. However, my love for Misaki is different than my love for you. I love him romantically. It doesn't mean that my love for you is less, it doesn't mean that you're not important to me...I'm worried about you. I was happy when you started dating that kid. You were smiling, and you were genuinely happy. I do care about you, and I want to protect you. So don't ever say that I left you alone. It is just that we don't belong together...not in a romantic way. I can't risk you enough to date you." Akihiko slowly caressed Hiroki's cheek and pulled him into an embrace.

"Now, please cheer up. I'll send you home. Get some sleep, and forget about this." Akihiko whispered tiredly.

"Akihiko, please stay with me tonight."

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If you kindly** review** my work, I will upload the next installment as soon as possible :)


	2. Drunk in Lust

**Authors Note:**

**I'm uploading two chapters in one day because tomorrow I will be on a ten hours flight, and I probably won't update until Monday or Tuesday. **

**Anyway, I know that I'm not getting that much reviews yet, so I don't really know if you guys are interested in the story or not. **

**Please let me know if I should continue this, or if I should simply move on with another story. Cause I don't want to bore any of you, you see xD**

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Chapter 2: Drunk in Lust

"_Akihiko, please stay with me tonight."_

"You're drunk. I'm sending you back," Akihiko turned away, heading towards the door.

"Don't leave me!" Hiroki cried, clutching on Akihiko's shirt, preventing him from leaving.

Akihiko shuddered as he felt Hiroki circling his arms around him, hugging him from behind. It had been so long since they had last been in an intimate position. Akihiko had two choices to make. First, he could simply ignore the brunette, and refused to take advantage of the current situation..._more than he already had_, while hurting his best friend's pride in the process. Second, he could simply fuck his beautiful yet pitiful friend, and let them both have the best orgasm in their lives, but taking advantage of Hiroki all over again while betraying Misaki in the process, and perhaps, risking their friendship once more.

"Akihiko...please...I don't want to be alone tonight," Hiroki trembled as he hugged his best friend even tighter.

"I will send you home. I will stay with you until you fall asleep. After that, I'm going home, where my lover is waiting for me in bed." Akihiko finally answered, dismissing Hiroki's pleas.

Hiroki was silent. He quietly let go of Akihiko and smiled apologetically. He knew that Akihiko will never sleep with him again. He knew that Akihiko was never interested in him. He was a _substitute_. He knew that Akihiko was only comforting him for the sake of their friendship.

"It's alright. I'll call a taxi from here. You don't have to send me home. Go back to bed, Akihiko, I know my way out. I'm sorry for all the trouble." Hiroki bowed politely, ignoring his headache, and headed towards the door.

He held back his tears silently. He did not want to go back to the empty apartment. He did not want to sleep on the empty bed while desperately inhaling Nowaki's scent. He did not want to remember the warm dark eyes of his lover while kissing him goodnight. Perhaps he should head to the bar and drink even more until he passed out. At least, in that way he wouldn't have to be reminded that tomorrow lies ahead.

"Wait!" Akihiko called out, grabbing Hiroki's arm, "I'm sending you home."

"And this is for you...I'm lending you Suzuki-san. So please don't bring any strange men home." Akihiko pushed the bear towards Hiroki's arms.

"Thank you, Akihiko. Thank you for lending your precious Suzuki-san to me," Hiroki smiled for the first time that day.

Akihiko grabbed his car keys from the table and ruffled his best friend's soft hair. He was happy to see Hiroki's smile again.

* * *

"Hiroki," Akihiko called out to the sleeping figure on the seat next to him, "Hiroki, wake up. We're in front of your apartment."

"Five more minutes, Nowaki," Hiroki grumbled, still in deep slumber.

"Hiroki, you've got to wake up," Akihiko shook the petite brunette. He felt bad for waking Hiroki while he was obviously dreaming of his lover...the bastard who left him for no apparent reason.

Akihiko sighed as he received no response from the brunette. Hiroki probably drank too much today. His face was flushed in a pretty scarlet colour, and his usual frown was not visible. Instead, it was replaced by a defenceless, innocent expression while leaning his head on one of Suzuki-san's arm. Akihiko dig the apartment keys from Hiroki's jeans pocket, and decided to carry Hiroki back to his apartment.

"Have you been eating, Hiroki? You've lost so much weight," Akihiko mumbled, struggling as he carried the large Suzuki-san and his petite friend towards the apartment door.

He unlock Hiroki's apartment and brought them inside. He left Suzuki-san on the couch, and carried his friend to his bedroom. Once he laid the light body down on the bed, he started taking off Hiroki's shoes and socks, planning to change his clothes to a more comfortable sleep wear. Hiroki spread his legs wantonly once Akihiko finished taking off his jeans.

"Nowaki, I'm cold." Hiroki mumbled, still half asleep.

Akihiko held his breath as he saw Hiroki's creamy thighs, teasingly spread just for him to see. He was blind-folded when they had sex a few years ago. It was such a shame that he missed such a sight. He carefully trailed a finger and touched the smooth skin lightly.

"Nnn, Nowaki, touch me more..." Hiroki moaned, as he spread his legs wider, rubbing his privates through his briefs.

Akihiko could see a rather large bulge forming slowly, and very cutely. Eventually there was a wet spot on Hiroki's briefs as he kept rubbing his own erection faster and faster.

"Aaah, please touch me. Take me, Nowaki!" Hiroki cried in pleasure. Akihiko was trying his best to refuse the temptation of taking Hiroki's member into his mouth and making love to him through the night. Akihiko eventually opened the zipper of his pants and took his own erection out, and jerking it slowly to the sight of Hiroki masturbating. Akihiko freed Hiroki's erection from his underpants and moaned lustfully at the view. The wanton brunette took Akihiko's left hand and guided it to his erection, begging to be touched. That was the last straw for Akihiko. He grabbed both of their erections together and jerked them furiously, earning lustful cries from Hiroki.

"Nnn...Faster! Faster!" Hiroki cried passionately.

It did not take long before both of them created a mess on each others' stomach and chest. Akihiko cleaned his best friend's body with a towel and sighed.

'_What have I done?'_

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Please** review** and let me know if you have any suggestions or comments.

Have a good day!


	3. Lies and Affection

**Author's Note: Thank you for all the kind reviews. I think it is one of my main motivation of early updates! Thank you for those users who made my story their favorites even though they do not review the story xD At least I know that they like it enough to make it as a favorite :) I will try to update once a day if you guys kindly review and tell me what you think about the chapter. It is always nice to get a good feedback as motivation to write.**

And to those users who questioned, this scenario takes place during Nowaki's departure to America in volume 2 of the manga. It became an entirely different plot after the incident though. And I would probably ended the story as HirokiXNowaki and AkihikoXMisaki (just like the original manga) unless you guys wanted it to end differently, and I'll give it some time to think about it.

**Please enjoy the story! It is rather short, but that is because of the jet-lag. I just landed from a 10 hours flight a few hours ago.**

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Chapter 3: Lies and Affection

'_What have I done?'_

"Now we're even." Akihiko heard Hiroki muttered tiredly. He looked up and saw the brunette staring at him intensely.

"You used me as a substitute once, and I'm just returning the favour. I am this kind of person, Akihiko...and you're free to leave now that you understand." Hiroki continued while closing his eyes, preparing for Akihiko's outrage.

"You're such a silly boy. I know you well enough to understand your big ego. I'm not leaving. You obviously need my company," Akihiko muttered as he ruffled the brunette's hair.

He knew that Hiroki's pride was the reason why he was pushing him away. He did not want to be seen at a vulnerable state. Hiroki blushed furiously and hid his face underneath the pillow.

"...Thank you, Akihiko. But you should return to your lover now. I'm okay." He mumbled, trying to sound calm.

He did not want Akihiko to think that he was weak. Hiroki categorized himself as a strong person. He was not the type of person who would break down so easily. He could cover up his feelings in a snap most of the time. It was unbelievable that Nowaki's departure could have this kind of effect on him...making him feel so vulnerable.

"I'm staying for the night. I'll talk to Misaki tomorrow. Go to bed. I'll still be here." Akihiko pushed the pillow away from Hiroki's face, exposing his tear-stained face.

"I love him. I love him more than I love myself," Hiroki said in a monotone voice.

Perhaps he was too drunk to be engaged in a conversation, perhaps he was too tired to keep his rationality, but his feelings were numb. He wished he had never met Nowaki before. But then, he would never understand what true love means.

'_What about me?'_ Akihiko almost asked. He stopped himself in time as he did not want to confuse his already troubled friend even further.

He warned himself to stay away from his thoughts of ravishing Hiroki. He could not betray Misaki like this. In fact, he was almost certain that his feelings for Hiroki are nothing more than lust and friendship. He had suppressed his lust for Hiroki by writing "naughty" novels based on his character all of these years. It was simply irresistible to see the real body displayed in front of him just like that. Hiroki was indeed more important to him than his other friends. He felt the guilt rushing into him as he tried to compare his feelings between Misaki and Hiroki.

"I love you too, Akihiko. But I know that you will never see me in that way...that is why my romantic feelings for you died that day. I still love you, perhaps like a brother...or as a lifetime friendship companion," Hiroki smiled tiredly, as if reading Akihiko's thoughts.

"You know me better than anybody else, you know," Hiroki continued, and smirked, "And I know that you are passionately in love with that little boy. Paedophile."

"Misaki is in university! You're teaching his class," Akihiko complained, lying down beside his friend.

They held hands silently underneath the blanket. A small smile formed on Hiroki's lips as he cuddled closer to Akihiko. This felt so familiar. It was the sort of comfort he used to get from Akihiko when they were still in elementary school.

Akihiko was smiling to himself as well. Although he felt sorry for Hiroki that his lover left him, he could not help but wished that perhaps this was for the best. Without Hiroki's possessive lover around, they could spend their days like this. Just like this. Holding hands and falling asleep together.

He hugged Hiroki onto his chest and smiled.

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"Usagi-san! You didn't come home yesterday. What happened? I was so worried!" Misaki bounced across the living room when Akihiko entered the house.

He left his sleeping friend an hour ago after placing Suzuki-san on the bed as his replacement, and writing a short note on the nightstand. He smiled softly at Misaki, pushing his guilt aside.

"Oh? You were worried about me?" Akihiko smirked as the young boy turned crimson.

"No, I wasn't!" Misaki snapped half-heartedly. He then turned his attention to Akihiko's pants, and saw the stain near his zippers.

Misaki stopped dead.

"Usagi-san, did you... did you..?" Misaki stumbled on the question while he quickly glanced away from the rather obvious stain.

"What?" Akihiko questioned, genuinely confused by his lover.

Misaki quietly point on the stain, his face looking down. He wanted to ask Akihiko who he was with last night, but then, it would come out as though he was blaming his lover of cheating when he had not even heard Akihiko's side of the story.

"Oh, that... I was thinking of you while masturbating last night." Akihiko laughed.

He wished Misaki would believe his explanations.

No.

His lies.

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How do you like this chapter?** Let me know!** :)


	4. Denial and Avoidance

**Author's Note: I'm very sorry for the late update. Please enjoy! Reviews makes me write faster ;)**

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Chapter 4: Denial and Avoidance

"Usagi-san! Why did you do that?" Misaki turned bright red and he threw a playful punch on Akihiko's chest in embarrassment.

Akihiko caught Misaki's wrist and pinned him against the wall.

Misaki looked up in confusion and saw Akihiko's painful face. He flinched, wondering what was happening.

"What is wro—"

"I was with Hiroki yesterday. We didn't have sex," Akihiko whispered, interrupting him.

Misaki froze as he was pulled into a hug.

Akihiko wasn't technically _lying_; he indeed did not _sleep_ with his best friend yesterday.

Misaki frowned slightly and pulled back from the embrace. He touched Akihiko's cheek and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Is there anything that you want to tell me, Usagi-san?" Misaki questioned, frowning slightly.

"No, there is nothing. I told you that I didn't sleep with Hiroki because I don't want you to imagine impossible scenarios," Akihiko smiled and leaned down, stealing a kiss from Misaki.

"I'm going upstairs, I need to take a bath," Akihiko headed towards the staircase and smirked, "Do you want to join me, Misaki?"

"N-no. I already took one," Misaki replied, obviously still disturbed by the previous conversation.

Akihiko sighed and headed to the bathroom without looking back at Misaki.

* * *

Akihiko slammed his fist to the wall in frustration once he was inside the shower booth.

He closed his eyes as he felt the hot water trickling down his naked torso.

Hiroki's wanton cries lingered in his mind...his smooth and radiant skin was so soft under his touch—yet it burned whenever their naked skin brushed against each other. His eyes were lustful, yet passionate and loving.

Akihiko moaned slightly as he remembered how Hiroki spread his legs wide open just for him and how he trembled beneath him in lust—Akihiko is yearning for his best friend.

Akihiko wrapped his palm around his member and started to pump it in even rhythm. He closed his eyes and moaned silently as he replayed the incident last night in his mind. Flashbacks of the sight of Hiroki jerking off right in front of him, while begging to be touched was driving him crazy.

The guilt and excitement was too much to take.

It was as though Akihiko was trapped in the middle of a forbidden game, where his control and rationality were taken away by his lust.

He knew that Hiroki belonged to that man, but that man was no longer around. Besides, he was _quite sure_ that Hiroki wanted him last night.

No.

He was _so sure_ that the feeling of lust and passion were mutual between them.

Akihiko sped up as he remembered the feeling of Hiroki's hot cum spilling on his palm.

"Nnh…" He cried out softly as he felt the familiar rush of heat on his groin—he pumped his member a little faster and the feeling of euphoria started to take over his body as he spilled silently on his fist.

It took him a while to finally regain his composure. He lather some soap on his body to clean up the evidence.

Guilt started to creep onto his mind as he thought about his young lover, Misaki.

It would be wrong if someone thought that he had lost his interest with Misaki.

He is truly in love with his lover and that feeling will never change. To him, Misaki is irreplaceable; He is a person that Akihiko can tease, a person that he can cry with, to share his laughter with—and most importantly, a person who he loves.

However, the feeling of curiosity, lust, and excitement were perhaps the reason of why he was currently stuck in this kind of situation.

"I'm so sorry, Misaki." Akihiko whispered to himself.

He washed off the remaining soap on his body and went out of the shower. He dried himself with the white fluffy towel and wrapped it securely around his waist.

* * *

"Usagi-san, I'm worried about you. Did something happen between you and Kamijou-sensei?" Misaki's question welcomed him once he entered his bedroom door.

"There is nothing important that I need to tell you. You are imagining something wild again," Akihiko teased and smiled half-heartedly.

Misaki frowned as he huddled himself on Akihiko's chest.

"I promise that I won't get angry even if you tell me the truth," He urged.

Akihiko kept silent. He did not return the hug.

"Please…it is okay. I promise." Misaki's voice was getting more and more desperate.

Akihiko stole a glance at his lover.

Misaki was obviously upset.

His large eyes were filled with concern, and his fingers were clutching on the back of Akihiko's shirt, desperate for an answer from him.

"Hiroki's lover left him. He was upset, and we drank...he was drunk, and we slept together on the same bed," Akihiko paused as he saw Misaki's face saddened and continued, "And I love you. I love you very much."

With that, he leaned down and kissed Misaki on the lips.

He pushed Misaki softly down on his bed and whispered tenderly in his ears, "I've missed you, my beloved."


	5. Suspicion

**Author's Note:** I'm very sorry for the long absence. I've been very busy lately. Smut chapter is up :) Hopefully this will make up for the long absence. xD

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Chapter 5: Suspicion

"Usagi-san! What are you doing? Get off me—" Misaki's cries were interrupted as Akihiko leaned down and captured his lips.

'_Why am I so worried? It is not like…I'm in love with him or anything.'_ Misaki blushed at the thought. Akihiko had unbuttoned his jeans and he slowly licked down Misaki's abdomen. Trailing down his lover with wet kisses, Akihiko gave an experimental lick on the bulge forming inside Misaki's underwear.

"Aaaah! No! Not there! Please stop…" Misaki begged, as Akihiko slipped his hand inside the waistband of his underwear, where cold hands met the heat of his member. All Misaki's rational thoughts were swept away after he felt Akihiko's warm tongue playing with the slit of his member.

"Misaki, do you love me?" Akihiko's voice was desperate, as he gave a long lick from the base of Misaki's shaft all the way to the tip. He leaned down and took Misaki into his mouth, listening to the wanton cries of his partner. Akihiko trailed his middle finger along Misaki's member as he gathered the slippery spit and pre-cum coating his partner, and he started to slowly push his finger inside Misaki's hot entrance.

"Do you love me?" Akihiko repeated, as he started moving his finger back and forth. Misaki arched his back and squeezed his eyes shut as Akihiko entered another finger inside him.

"Aah! I…don't know…Ha.." Misaki panted, rocking his hips desperately, while slamming into Akihiko's fingers.

Akihiko pulled out his fingers completely which caused Misaki to gasp desperately. He offered his fingers in front of Misaki's lips, and he groaned in need while he watched the youngster lapping on his fingers with half-lidded eyes. He had corrupted Misaki. The younger boy had shyly spread his legs open, while thrusting his hips into mid-air—as a sign to show Akihiko that he was ready to be claimed.

For a moment, Akihiko was reminded of his childhood friend, Hiroki. He could still remember Hiroki's soft pale skin as he spread his legs for him the other day. Hiroki's skin was feverish under his touch, when his cold hand made contact with Hiroki's parted thighs. Guilt washed upon him when he heard Misaki's desperate moans. He grabbed the lube bottle by the bedside and squirted a considerable amount over his length. He held back a moan while he stroked his member feverishly, coating his own length with the substance.

"I love you, Misaki" Akihiko whispered hotly on the younger's ears as he inserted his length inside his lover's entrance. Misaki simply moaned in response while slamming his hips all the way to the base of Akihiko's cock, urging the silver-haired man to start moving.

"Ah! Usagi-san! Right there!" Misaki screamed in pleasure when he felt Akihiko's member hitting directly towards his sweet spot. He covered his face with his hands as he felt hot tears of pleasure stinging on the corner of his eyes. So many questions were running through his head as he felt Akihiko's heat inside him.

'_What did Kamijou-sensei's problems have to do with Usagi-san? Why did he look for Usagi-san in the first place? Are they really that close? What happened between them that night? Why was Usagi-san so awkward?'_ Misaki's thought were drowned as he felt the familiar pleasurable sensation rushing towards his groin while sending wonderful vibrations inside his stomach.

"Usagi-san! I'm… I'm..aaah! I'm coming!" Misaki screamed as he tightened around the novelist, while spilling his seed all over his stomach. Akihiko panted at the sudden tightness and released himself inside the younger boy. He captured the boy's lips and whispered words of assurance.

Misaki was half asleep when he felt Akihiko cleaning him with a wet towel. _'We need to talk'_, he thought while leaning towards Akihiko's embrace, _'but it can wait.'_

* * *

Kamijou Hiroki had never been a morning person. He had recently started working as an assistant professor in the literature department, and the workload had been keeping him busy. He had not been sleeping well for the past weeks due to his lover's absence on his bed. It had been three months since Nowaki's departure. He had learned from the Oba-san in the Kusama Orphanage that Nowaki had left to America to study in becoming a doctor. Hiroki slammed his fist on the table while his brows knitted together, forming a frown.

'_He's studying freaking science! And to think that I spent my time tutoring the brat in literature…'_ Hiroki sighed as he tried to ignore the throbbing pain forming on his head.

"Kamijou sensei! My cute assistant! Were you lonely while waiting for me?" Hiroki grimaced as he heard the sing-song voice and felt warm arms enveloping him into a hug.

"Kyouju…please do your work." Hiroki muttered in annoyance, his headache suddenly getting worse. Miyagi simply chuckled as he leaned forward into the embrace, enjoying his assistant's body heat. Hiroki frowned slightly as he felt Miyagi letting go of the embrace and placing the palm of his hand on his forehead.

"Oi, baka, you're running a fever. You should go home and rest. Cancel your class for today." Miyagi ruffled his assistant's hair in concern.

"Ah, I'm okay, don't worry about me. I'm just a little bit tired, that's all." Hiroki sighed, as he returned to his laptop, preparing for the material for the next class test.

"Kamijou, I don't need a sick assistant to take care of. You know how busy we are, these days. Go home and rest for now. Come back tomorrow when your fever has gone down." Miyagi frowned slightly at Hiroki's stubbornness. His assistant had not been looking well for the past few months; the dark circle under his eyes had gone darker, his eyes were constantly pink from tiredness, and his skin had gone dull from lack of nutrients and sleep. Hiroki had not been taking care of himself properly.

"Fine, fine," Hiroki grumbled as he tried to stand up to gather his things, "I'll just continue this at-ah…" He felt a sudden dizziness that overcame him as he stood up. Hiroki felt Miyagi's hands guiding him back to his seat.

"Yes, I just need to sit down for a while. I've been sitting down too long, that's all." Hiroki muttered as he massaged his forehead with his fingertips. Maybe he really should take a day off after all.

"Do you want me to drive you back? I don't mind to cancel a few classes today to get you home." Miyagi asked, concerned.

"That is okay. I'll catch a taxi from here. Don't worry about me and just do your work." Hiroki snapped half-heartedly, slightly embarrassed over the trouble that he had brought. Hiroki is a prideful man. He is not the type of person that enjoys causing problems for somebody else.

"Don't be an idiot! How are you going to manage to take care of yourself when you are in this condition? Let me drive you home." Miyagi argued, while helping Hiroki to pack his belongings back into the briefcase.

"No, Kyouju. Somebody has to be inside the office. I really can manage to go home by myself, but since you are so worried, I will call my friend to pick me up." Hiroki grumbled, as he felt his cheeks burned from the fever, anger, and embarrassment. He grabbed his cellphone and dialled a familiar number. He had to trouble Akihiko now.

"Hiroki? Why are you calling at this kind of hour?" Akihiko's calm pleasant voice greeted him. They had only met a few times since the _incident_, and nothing inappropriate had happened between them since then. In fact, they never talked about it, just like how they never talked about the _mistake _in the past.

"Akihiko? Are you busy?" Hiroki asked, half wishing that Akihiko would answer "yes" and he could simply go home with a taxi and avoid causing problems to the people around him.

"No, I'm not. Do you need me?" Akihiko asked in a teasing manner while smirking at his own question.

"Bakahiko! I don't have time for your jokes now!" Hiroki snapped, but suddenly blushed, as he remembered that he was the one calling for a favour. "Ah…actually, I'm not feeling really well right now. It is nothing serious, but my boss here, wanted to make sure that I arrive home in one piece. If you have some time, do you mind to pick me up in the university?" Hiroki grimaced at his own desperate tones.

"Wait for me. I'll be there in less than ten minutes," Akihiko's low and gentle voice replied him, and added, "Don't worry, Hiroki. I'll take care of you."

The line went dead. Hiroki felt the familiar tingling sensation on his chest, and he was reminded of his past feelings for Akihiko.

That man has always been so kind.

* * *

**Please review to show your support :)**

Thank you very much for the "Favorites" and "story alerts", but I'm looking forward to know what you think about the chapter, as well as any suggestions about the future pairings ^_^

The more reviews I get, the faster I'll upload *_*

Nowaki will appear soon in the upcoming chapters.

Akhiko x Hiroki is on the next chapter.


	6. Horrible Person

**Author's Note:** I'm glad to see that users are expressing their opinions about the storyline. I've replied to most of the signed review, and I also want to thank the encouragement from anonymous reviewers.

Someone mentioned that Akihiko is very 'cold' and his attitude towards Hiroki and Misaki is simply nothing more than a bastard.

I completely agree. Akihiko is conflicted over his lust over Hiroki while struggling to keep his relationship with Misaki. When there is two-timing going on, people will naturally turn into bastards.

As for Hiroki's "sexual" attitude, I've always thought that even though the Manga doesn't really go so deep into it, Hiroki is indeed a sexual person, and perhaps, much more "experienced" than Akihiko himself. Not only he used to offer himself as a substitute for Takahiro to Akihiko, he had past flings from getting drunk-most probably, to substitute Akihiko himself. Unfortunately, the characters will remain quite dysfunctional in this way until further development in the upcoming chapters, hopefully, in chapter seven.

Sorry for the long explanation, but I think I should write this before I go on. I just updated yesterday, but here is a short update ^_^

* * *

Chapter 6: Horrible Person

Hiroki Kamijou rolled his chair towards the window and sighed.

_'Let me just get over this quickly.'_ Hiroki thought, while massaging his forehead with his fingertips.

The bright sunlight was blinding him, causing his headache to throb a little bit more, and yet, he trailed his fingers on the glass window as he waited for Akihiko's red sports car to approach the university building. He just wanted to go home.

"Kamijou, what happened?" The professor's voice snapped him back to reality.

Miyagi was staring at him with concern, while he lit up a brand new cigarette. Silence was in the air, and the crackling sound of the freshly burnt cigarette was the only thing that they could hear.

Hiroki was silent. What happened indeed? What should he answer? Should he say that his lover of six years had abandoned him? Should he say that he wanted someone to sleep next to him just to substitute the warmth of his lover? Should he answer that he was starting to get caught up with his past 'crush'?

"Nothing," Hiroki grumbled, "Nothing is wrong with me. I'm just getting used to the workload. I just need some sleep."

"Ah, really now? You look like shit these days, Kamijou-kun," Miyagi chuckled lightly, inhaling another drag on the cancer stick.

"Kyouju, please don't tease me so much." Hiroki didn't even feel like arguing with the baka professor at the moment. He felt nauseous.

"I'm not teasing you, idiot." Miyagi frowned slightly, and added, "I know that I'm your boss…but if you want to talk to me about your personal problems, I will be willing to lend you an ear."

"That won't be necessary," Hiroki muttered quietly.

"…And a shoulder to cry on." Miyagi teased, ignoring Hiroki's reply. Hiroki gave the professor his famous death glare and rolled his chair back to his desk, resting his head on the table.

"No throwing books today, ne, Ka-mi-jou?" Miyagi's annoying voice teased him once more.

"Kyouju, just shut up. My head hurts." Hiroki grimaced, impatiently waiting for his childhood friend to bring him home.

Miyagi sighed as he killed his cigarette on the ashtray. His assistant was being stubborn again. He thought that he could relaxed his new assistant with jokes, so Hiroki could open up to him a bit more, and perhaps, telling the professor why he looked as though he had a stick up his arse for the past few months. Miyagi walked towards the counter and poured some tea on the teacup.

"Drink this. Get well soon, alright?" Miyagi smiled at the prideful man, while patting his head lightly.

"Ah, that…you don't have to do this. But, thank you, Kyouju." Hiroki replied quietly and blushed.

He had forgotten such kindness. Nowaki used to bring him tea whenever he was working overnight on his thesis. Nowaki used to be the one that asked him what was wrong whenever Hiroki looked troubled.

_'Maybe I should have treated him better. I should have told him that I love him more often.'_ Hiroki thought, as he sipped the warm liquid that soothe his throat. Hiroki chuckled to himself as he realized how weak he had become. He felt so desperately in love with his lover, _'but I guess, you will always take the people around you for granted until they left.'_

Hiroki blamed his fever for thinking of such sappy thoughts. He blinked his tears away, and focused on the teacup in front of him, sipping it once in a while. Miyagi walked up to his assistant and wrapped his arms around the distressed man the second time that day. Hiroki's body was warm from the fever.

"Are you sure that you are okay?" Miyagi asked again, out of concern.

"I'll need to sue you for sexual harassment," Hiroki slapped the arms away from him and sighed while burying his face on the palm of his hands. "I'm alright. I just need sleep. Thank you for taking care of me, truly, but honestly, you don't need to worry about me, and I really don't feel like talking right now." Hiroki's voice trembled slightly as he tried to keep a straight tone. He couldn't break down in front of his boss—not to mention, revealing his sexual orientation. Not only he felt uncomfortable sharing such an important personal detail with a man that he just met for a few months, a part of him also worried about his own job if he shared these secrets with his boss.

"Kamijou-kun, I just—" Miyagi's words were cut off when they heard an impatient knock on the office door, quickly revealing a worried looking Usami Akihiko as the door opened.

"Hiroki, are you okay?" Akihiko asked and walked towards his friend, while reaching his hand out, wanting to feel Hiroki's forehead.

Akihiko's cold hands felt burnt on Hiroki's skin. _It must be the fever_.

"Come, let's get you home." Akihiko grabbed Hiroki's suitcase while offering his other hand for Hiroki to take.

As expected, Hiroki had slapped his hand away while muttering, "I'm not a princess, baka."

Akihiko smiled, ruffling Hiroki's hair affectionately. _'His touch…it felt so similar. But Akihiko's hands are so cold…' _Hiroki felt warm tears trickling on the corner of his eyes. He quickly diverted his eyes towards the wall, trying to hold back his tears that were caused from the fever. _'Yes, at times like this, we can always blame on the fever.'_

"Kyouju, I'm going home. I'm very sorry for leaving early today. I'll make it up to you tomorrow." Hiroki bowed slightly at his superior before heading for the door.

"Hai, hai, just get your ass to bed for now and sleep like a baby." Miyagi laughed as he heard Hiroki had slammed the door shut.

'_That guy…isn't he Usami Akihiko, the famous novelist? Just what kind of man is Kamijou to be closely acquainted to such an important person?'_ Miyagi pondered, humming slightly, while he continued grading his student's essays.

* * *

"My place or yours?" Akihiko asked once they entered the infamous red sports car. Hiroki looked pale, and Akihiko thought that it would be better if he took his friend back to his house to keep a closer eye on the sick man.

"Of course we're going to my place. What will you say to Takahashi-kun if I barged inside your house? Baka." Hiroki replied, sulking.

It seemed hilarious to him that he needed to worry about a certain Takahashi whenever he was around Akihiko, whether in the past or present.

"I've told Misaki that you are my childhood friend, Hiroki. It shouldn't be a problem if you stayed over at my place today. In that way, I can look after you properly." Akihiko's voice was warm and gentle, the kind of tone that he always used back during their school years.

"No, I'm going home. I won't be able to sleep in another person's house." Hiroki rebutted, frowning slightly.

He did not understand why Akihiko was being so gentle to him. Hiroki still needed time to settle his feelings after the incident with Akihiko that night. If this happened six years ago, Hiroki would have been truly happy—but now, he felt the tremendous guilt in his stomach for betraying Nowaki. _'Betraying? No, not betraying.'_ Nowaki had left him.

"Hey, Akihiko," Hiroki sighed suddenly and asked, "What are we exactly? Why are you being so gentle to me? You're too kind."

"You're my precious friend, Hiroki. I love you." Akihiko whispered, patting Hiroki's head with his left hand as he turned on the car engine.

"Has anyone told you this before, Akihiko? You're a horrible person." Hiroki muttered, while he briefly thought of Takahashi's little brother.

_'If Nowaki did this to somebody else, I would have…' _Hiroki's trail of thoughts ended when he realized that Nowaki could have been screwing around with another person at this very moment. He gripped tightly on the leather seat of Akihiko's car while staring at the road ahead of them in silence.

Neither Hiroki nor Akihiko had realized that a pair of shocked eyes had witnessed them leaving the university together.

_'Usagi-san? Why?'_ Misaki pondered in his seat, while watching the red car drove away from the window beside him. He had seen Kamijou the devil entering the novelist's car.

* * *

**Please review and tell me your opinions or suggestions. I feel encouraged to write more with the reader's encouragements. :)**

I will be updating again very soon. Thank you for reading. ^_^


	7. One Good Turn Deserves Another I

**Author's Note**: I recently watched the Junjou Minimum episode in the series *_* I hope there will be a season 3 which will include an episode on the Junjou Minimum couple :p

For this chapter, I've adopted the idiom, "Nasake wa hito no tame naza zu", which translated to, "One good turn deserves another". The idiom basically means that, if you did something good to a person, you will receive a good turn in reward. :)

This will be a two-part chapter, so let's start with part one.

* * *

Chapter 7: One Good Turn Deserves Another I

"Horrible? Don't tell me something that I already know." Akihiko laughed dryly, without glancing at his childhood friend.

The author had been having conflicting thoughts about his current situation. He had been touched by Misaki's purity and naivety, and before he realized it, he had harboured his feelings towards the young boy, enveloping a sense of possessiveness over the young man. With Hiroki, however, was different. The man is an adult; ahead with years of experiences under his belt—he knew the right movements to seduce Akihiko fully; to blind him with lust and passion.

If they had sex without the blindfold, and if Akihiko had called out Hiroki's name at the last moment, would things be this way? Would he feel the guilt and regret that he was feeling now?

"I'm taking you to my house. Don't even bother complaining, Hiroki. We both know that I can't cook, and with your condition, I can't leave you alone at home surviving on instant food. Misaki will cook." Akihiko's tone was emotionless, and yet, he was overwhelmed by guilt and frustration.

'_How could I be so cruel to Misaki?' _

"You are truly horrible. How could you be so cruel yet so kind at the same time?" Hiroki muttered in despair, as if reading his thoughts.

Akihiko truly cared about the brunette. He remembered the first time that he had glanced up at those cinnamon eyes on their 'secret hideout' that day. Hiroki was his first friend—the person that he had truly treasured. The assistant professor was also the first person that had ever read any of his books, and little Hiroki was the one who gave him encouragement and emotional protection when he was struggling with his family circumstances in the past.

"Hiroki, you asked me why am I so gentle to you, didn't you?" Akihiko started and continued with a familiar phrase, "Nasake wa hito no tame naza zu. Do you remember that? One good turn deserves another."

"What? I don't understand." Hiroki looked up in confusion.

Of course, he had remembered that phrase. It was written in one of Akihiko's unpublished novel. The one that he had written when he was only ten years old…the novel that was handwritten, with only Hiroki's eyes to feast in; the novel that was a secret between the two young little boys at that time.

"You don't have to understand. Ah look, we're here." Akihiko stirred the stirring wheel into the garage, and the car finally came into a complete stop.

_'Is this about my one-sided love towards Akihiko for years? Is that why he is showing his affection to me? But I had my good turn. I had Nowaki. He had given me his love…' _Hiroki bit his bottom lip when he realized, _'but I've lost him. My good turn has ended just like how I stopped my love for Akihiko that day.'_

"Hiroki? Are you alright? Do you need help standing up?" Akihiko's concerned voice snapped him out of his daydream.

"I don't need help." Hiroki replied bitterly, pulling a scowl on his face as he stepped outside the car.

Blood rushed towards his head as he closed his eyes, trying to sooth his headache. He felt Akihiko's large hand grabbing his smaller one, and carefully guiding him inside the entrance.

_'Their hands are so similar. Maybe if I close my eyes, I can pretend for a little while,'_ Hiroki thought as he closed his eyes once more, tightening the grip of their interlacing fingers, _'Nowaki…his hands were never cold like this.'_

"Take off your clothes. Change into these. Go to sleep, I will wake you up in a few hours to eat." Hiroki felt the pyjama set placed softly on his lap as he sat down on the bed. He did not realize that they had entered Akihiko's bedroom.

Without giving a second thought, Hiroki slowly unbuttoned his shirt. His hands were shaking feverishly while he unbuttoned the buttons, trying to ignore the pain throbbing continuously in his head. He was struggling over the fourth button when he realized that Akihiko had been staring at him so openly.

"Idiot! Don't look at me!" Hiroki snapped and turned away from the gaze, embarrassed, and his fingers trembled even further as he tried to continue changing his clothes.

Akihiko didn't say anything. He took a step closer and kneeled down facing the brunette while he helped his friend to unbutton his shirt. His fingertips graced across Hiroki's navel by accident and he heard Hiroki took a sudden sharp breath at the skin contact. Lust had overtaken him. Akihiko tried to restrain himself as he unbuckled the man's pants, and slowly slid it down his waist, all the way to the floor. Akihiko couldn't help himself but placed a soft kiss on the inside of Hiroki's thigh, close to his groin.

Hiroki shuddered as he felt Akihiko's warm breath accompanied the kiss that he had left. He let out a sharp gasp and grabbed a fistful of silver hair on top of Akihiko's head, pulling them harshly when he realized that Akihiko had marked him in such an embarrassing place. He had left him with a love bite.

"Stop it, Akihiko. We can't do this. Not again," Hiroki buried his face on the palm of his hands and sighed. He could hear his own anger, lust, and desperation out of the tone of his voice.

"Okay. I'm very sorry, Hiroki, that won't happen again." Akihiko's voice was laced with equal frustration and he draped the pyjama shirt over Hiroki's shoulders, helping him to dress himself.

'_Never again.'_

Hiroki sat in silence while he felt Akihiko's fingers gracing over his skin occasionally, buttoning up his shirt. His warm skin melted Akihiko's cold ones, and even though he desperately wanted to clutch onto Akihiko, asking him to fuck him through the night while pretending to be Nowaki, he knew that he couldn't. He couldn't bear to treat Takahashi's little brother like this.

"You can wear the pants yourself, can't you, Hiroki?" Akihiko finally stood up, "I'll be outside. Go to bed. It is alright." He ruffled the brunette's hair one more time and left his hand lingering on the soft brown hair.

"Akihiko," Hiroki's voice was quiet, "Thank you."

The novelist could see the lovely red shade dominating his friend's features as the brunette hid his face by burying his head on the pillow.

"How cute of you, Hiroki," The author chuckled after a pause, feeling a pillow thrown violently onto his chest, and finally added, "Anything for you."

* * *

"Tadaima," Misaki greeted as he entered the house.

He will need to ask the novelist about his _meeting_ with the assistant professor this morning.

The novelist was sitting on the couch, typing with a blank expression on his face. Akihiko looked up from his laptop and smiled, motioning for Misaki to sit beside him.

"Okaeri," Akihiko replied, embracing the bashful student.

Misaki was silent. He stole a glance over the novelist, but Akihiko was ignoring him, he had continued typing on his laptop.

_'How should I bring up the question?'_ Misaki pondered desperately, _'Should I ask him how his day went? Yeah, that will be a good one.'_

He gritted his teeth, preparing himself to ask the novelist when he realized that Akihiko had answered his question.

"Eh? What? Can you repeat that?" Misaki's eyes widened and he extended his hand, trying to reach the author.

"Hiroki is in my bedroom. He is sick, so can you please cook for him?" Akihiko repeated.

'_To what extent will you endure this, Misaki?'_

"Kamijou-sensei is here?" Misaki was dumb-founded.

Akihiko stopped typing, and looked up, returning the gaze from the large shocked pair of green-eyes. He ran his fingers through his silver hair and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

'_How could I hurt somebody who I desperately want to protect?'_

"Yeah, he is running a fever. Misaki, I'm busy right now, can I trust you to look after him?" Akihiko finally replied, never breaking the eye-contact.

Misaki flinched as he saw Akihiko leaning forward for a kiss. He timidly pushed Akihiko and turned his face away from the kiss. He could not face Akihiko at the moment. Yet, if he had looked up, he would have seen the pain radiating on the Author's violet eyes.

"Al-Alright," Misaki stammered as he got up from the couch, "I will be in the kitchen."

* * *

**I would like to thank everyone for the 'favorite alerts' and 'story alerts', however, I would sincerely appreciate it if you could kindly review and tell me your opinion on the progress of the story. **Sometimes, an author needs inspiration from the readers. To be quite honest, I'm not quite sure where the story will go from here xD

**Any comments, criticisms, and ideas are welcomed :)**


	8. One Good Turn Deserves Another II

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the late update! I've been travelling from one place to another since my holiday started. This time, I'm bringing you a Hiroki / Misaki interaction chapter.

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Chapter 8: One Good Turn Deserves Another II_  
_

_"Hiro-san, what would you like for dinner today?" Nowaki smiled, as he brushed a strand of cinnamon-coloured hair out of his lover's face. _

_ "Idiot! Don't do that in public!" Hiroki blushed bashfully and he quickly walked ahead from his tall boyfriend. _

_Hiroki mentally cursed at himself for getting flustered easily when his lover is showing off his affection in public. _

_He realized that the dark-haired man was never ashamed of public affection…sometimes Hiroki wondered if the younger of the two was displaying such an affectionate behaviour in public on purpose. Hiroki had finished work early that day, and had decided to walk Nowaki home from his part-time job at the flower shop. _

_It was one of those rare days where he could actually spend some extra time with Nowaki and bought the ingredients for that night's dinner together._

_ "Hiro-san, wait up!" Nowaki grinned widely as he embraced his older lover from behind._

_Hiroki could feel his face turning crimson when he felt Nowaki's warm breath tickling the back of his neck. _

_Nowaki felt his lover stiffened from the embrace, but he simply smiled, kissing the nape of Hiroki's neck, and held his beloved's hand while whispering, "Let us walk together, shall we?"_

_ Hiroki's blush deepened. However, this time, instead of his usual tantrums, the cinnamon haired man simply nodded, and allowed his younger lover to continue holding his hand. _

_ "Would you like steamed fish today, or would you prefer grilled meat?" Nowaki asked him with his calm and soothing voice._

_ "Whichever. I don't care," Hiroki huffed, looking uninterested. Nowaki simply smiled and tightened the hold of his hand._

_ 'I should have been nicer to him. Maybe, he wouldn't have left…'_

* * *

"Kamijou-sensei! Kamijou-sensei!"

"Kamijou-sensei, please wake up. I brought your dinner." An unfamiliar voice woke Hiroki up from his slumber. He blinked tiredly while trying to remember the scene of his dream. He remembered feeling warm and happy; but at the same time, cold and devastated.

"Takahashi-kun, is that you?" Hiroki mumbled sleepily, and he slowly sat up from his sleeping position.

His fever seemed to have gone down slightly, and his headache had mostly disappeared. He frowned when he saw Akihiko's blushing brat standing in front of him. He had expected Akihiko himself to wake him up.

"Kamijou-sensei, I brought some porridge. Would you like to eat now?" Misaki asked timidly.

The green-eyed student chewed his lips nervously; his teacher was not answering him. In fact, it seemed that _Kamijou-sensei_ had decided to turn his face away from the younger student. Misaki was about to repeat the question, when he suddenly froze, noticing traces of tears on his teacher's cheeks.

"Sensei, are you alright? Does something hurt?" Misaki questioned his sick teacher worriedly while he quickly set the porridge down on the bedside. He rushed to Hiroki's side, flopping himself down on the bed.

"Takahashi-kun, calm down. I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me," Hiroki replied. He flinched slightly at his own cold tones towards Takahashi's little brother. It was the same tone that he usually uses towards the older Takahashi in the past. Old habits are difficult to change.

"I…I'm sorry…I was just worried, because…because you were crying," Misaki stammered, obviously surprised, and he turned his face away from his teacher. From the tone of his voice, Misaki was _almost _sure that his teacher had hated him.

Misaki quietly lifted himself from the bed, walking slowly towards the door. Perhaps, his teacher simply needed some time alone.

'_Crying? Was I? Oh, it was that dream, wasn't it?'_ Hiroki grimaced and he gently grabbed Misaki's arm, preventing the boy from leaving the room.

"I'm sorry. I was dreaming about something…I didn't mean to sound rude." Hiroki muttered apologetically at the young boy. He furrowed his brows, scowling at himself for sounding weak. Hiroki is a man of pride; he is usually not the type of man who apologizes.

However, this time, the assistant professor had understood his position in Akihiko's household. He should be thankful that the author had decided to take him in, and Takahashi's little brother had been kind enough to actually cook him dinner, despite all the insecurities that might be running inside the student's mind.

"Ah, it's okay! Don't worry about it. It must be the fever, right? I often had nightmares too when I had a fever…and my nii-chan would calm me down and…" Misaki blushed, as he heard a chuckle from his teacher.

'_Kamijou-sensei looks beautiful when he laughs. I wonder if Usagi-san thinks the same way…'_ Misaki shook his head at his own thoughts, _'No, no! I shouldn't think so negatively. I'm sure that nothing is going on…they are childhood friends after all…'_

"You're a funny one, aren't you, Takahashi-kun? Sometimes, you really reminded me of your older brother, you know? You are both an airhead." Hiroki chuckled again, when he saw a lovely shade of pink blush dominating the younger Takahashi's cheeks.

"It wasn't a bad dream, though," Hiroki continued, as he stared blankly at the wall, "I think it was a very good dream. Something I've dearly missed…"

"Something you've missed?" Misaki was surprised to hear himself asking _Kamijou-the-devil _such a personal question. He was even more surprised that no books or chalks were thrown at him.

"Ah, actually, I'm feeling a bit hungry since I skipped lunch this afternoon. Do you mind if I eat now?" Hiroki silently bit his tongue for blabbing about his personal problems to Akihiko's brat.

He did not feel like sharing his memories regarding Nowaki with anybody else. The memories of their relationship will be buried deep inside his mind; and only his to remember and to treasure.

Misaki looked a little bit taken aback, but he simply nodded. He nervously watched Hiroki blowing delicately at a spoonful of porridge—he had hoped that the porridge agreed with Hiroki's preferences in food.

"Ah, I'm surprised that you're a good cook," Hiroki smiled watching the youngster sighing in relief, and added, "I haven't eaten tasty homemade cooking for a few months now,"

"Thank you very much. Usagi-san is terrible in the kitchen, so I think my cooking skills had improved…" Misaki laughed nervously, drifting his eyes from his lover's childhood friend when he realized that he had mentioned the author in front of his teacher.

"Usagi?" Hiroki frowned, wondering which _rabbit_ Misaki was referring to, but then realization hits him, "Ah, You mean, Akihiko? I remember now. It's that silly nickname that your older brother had given him back in high school."

'_Kamijou-sensei is on a first-name basis with Usagi-san…Wait, of course they are! They are childhood friends, baka Misaki! But…I've never called Usagi-san with his first name before. Am I allowed to call him Akihiko?'_ Misaki bit his lips nervously and looked down on the floor as though it was the most interesting thing in the room.

"I don't think that it is a silly nickname." Misaki said quietly, without glancing up at Hiroki.

After all, it was his older brother who had given that nickname to the author. Misaki was_ almost_ sure that the assistant professor was fully aware about the silver-haired author's feelings towards his nii-chan in the past. Unconsciously, Misaki started to wonder whether the assistant professor had been romantically involved with the novelist before he had entered the picture.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" Hiroki's words sounded more like a statement, rather than a question.

The brown-haired beauty had been studying his student's expression for a while now. Was it jealousy that he had detected?

"I'm not after your boyfriend, Takahashi-kun," Hiroki coldly stated, "You can rest assure about that. Nothing happened between us in the past, and nothing will happen in the future. He is just a childhood friend to me, just like how I am to him."

'_That's right, Hiroki. One good turn deserves another. The young brat shouldn't be suffering from unnecessary things. I will fix this._' Hiroki smiled bitterly at his own lies. He could hear Misaki stuttering his unintelligible speech, but at that time, Hiroki simply couldn't meet the younger's eyes. He was afraid that once Misaki saw his face, he would discover the little _white _lie.

"If you don't mind, I would like to finish my food. You don't have to stay with me, you know? In fact, I'll be going home once I'm done. Thank you for the porridge, Takahashi-kun." Hiroki continued blowing at another spoonful of hot porridge, while trying his best to act indifferent towards Akihiko's current lover. He had hoped that the younger Takahashi would leave him alone by now.

"I'm very sorry… I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I do like you, sensei, I think that even though you are scary sometimes, you are kind to your friends. I think that is why Usagi-san likes you very much. Ah, I also think that sensei looks very pretty when you smile…" Misaki trailed on anxiously, an apparent blush accompanying his worried expression.

Hiroki could feel himself turning crimson at the brat's words. He had not expected such naivety from the boy. Perhaps, he could now understand Akihiko's attraction towards the younger Takahashi.

"Thank you, but I'm not going to raise your grades just because your lips are coated with honey, you damn brat," Hiroki smirked teasingly.

Misaki's blush deepened, and he quickly muttered that it was not his intention. This only made Hiroki's smile widened at the nervous boy.

"Sensei, can I ask you something? …Do you happen to know where Suzuki-san is at?" Misaki had been wondering where the giant bear had been for these past few months. He was suspicious that the author had not mentioned anything about his favourite giant bear.

"Suzuki-san? You mean Bakahiko's bear? She's with me, actually. Is there a problem?" Hiroki carelessly stated, without even glancing up from his dinner.

"No, it's nothing."

'_Nothing.'_

* * *

Thank you very much for the alerts and favourites! I really appreciate them. I would appreciate a** review**, or an idea for the upcoming chapters :) Especially since I'm not very sure where the story will go from now xD

**I would like to personally thank BlackArticFox, Don't Preach, Katrinadianne, lucyinthesky40, and anonymous reader X for helping with the development of the story.**


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